The return of the Start button in Windows 8.1

Microsoft is set to resurrect the traditional Start button it did away with in Windows 8, Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans have revealed. This time round the button will act as a method to simply access the Start Screen, and will not include the traditional Start Menu. The button is said to look near-identical to the existing Windows flag used in the Charms bar.

Microsoft will also add an option to allow users to boot directly to the traditional desktop environment in future builds of the upcoming Windows 8 upgrade. The elimination of the traditional Start button in Windows 8 was one of a number of contentious changes introduced with Microsoft’s latest operating system. Windows 8 was seen by many as a “a steep learning curve,” and feedback on the Start button removal has been mixed.With over 1.5 million download of the Start menu replacement app called Pokki,and other similar tools like Vista suggest that Windows 8 users still want the Start button and Start Menu. Microsoft explained away its removal using data it gathered from the company’s Customer Experience Improvement Program, but we understand the return in Windows 8.1 is due to customer feedback.